A brief look at Russian advertising

With the Russian advertising market looking to rebound strongly after a couple of slow years Business RT spoke with Alexander Sukharevsky, Associate Principal, McKinsey & Company, about advertising in Russia.

­RT: How quickly is the Russian consumer evolving in terms of response to advertising?

AS:“Very quickly, especially in the digital space. Despite Russia's significant GDP, trade development, and other challenges, consumers are on par – if not ahead – of consumers in other countries in capturing innovations and being "digitally involved."

RT: What distinguishes marketing/advertising in Russia from that of the Western world?

AS: “As for marketing, Russia quickly adopts Western techniques, so many of the things used are either on par or more advanced due to the innovative character of many local companies.”

RT: How do international brands tailor their message to the Russian audience? How successful are they?

AS: “A lot of it depends upon the brand. Some realized very early on that they need to combine brand essence with local specifics, while others failed in doing this. There are no generic rules here – it's very much company and brand specific.”

RT: How does the advertising of Russian companies differ from that of international companies operating in Russia?

AS: “Due to quick development, many Russian companies have achieved the level of their Western peers. As many of them are privately held companies, they can afford to be more provocative in their media usage than can their Western peers, due to compliance risks.”